The Home Front Just Lost Its Commander: Noem Fired, DHS Unfunded, and a War Still Running

On March 5, 2026, President Trump fired Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, making her the first Cabinet secretary removed in his second term. Her replacement, Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, does not take over until March 31, leaving a 26 day leadership gap at the department responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, border security, and disaster response while the United States is actively at war with Iran.This episode reconstructs the timeline that led to Noem's removal: the fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, a $200 million ad campaign she claimed Trump approved (he denied it), and combative congressional testimony that alienated both parties. It then examines the national security implications of a leaderless DHS during wartime, with the department unfunded due to a government shutdown and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency losing hundreds of workers to furloughs.Sources for this episode are available at: https://nbn.fm/war-desk/episode/ep69About War DeskWar Desk is an investigative podcast using AI assisted analysis of military intelligence, diplomatic signals, and conflict data to assess global war risk, with sources and references published on our website for verification.Subscribe to NBN's NewsletterGet new investigations, new shows, and the raw intelligence you won't find anywhere else straight to your inbox.Sign up at nbn.fm/newsletter.